Your Choice
by Ivy Quinzel
Summary: Prompt: the leader of the clan of your choice has killed their deputy. why have they done so?


Data

Words: 1,500

Characters: 6,971

Lines: 132

Time spent: ~7-10 hours 

(I'm a slow writer ;))

Response

Howling wind buffets the pines overhead, showering the ground beneath them with their needles. The sharp points plunge into the frozen snow that blabnkets the forest floor. Through the needles that stubbornly remain glued to their branch, shines the glaring sun that remains bright enough to be seen through the dense, snow laden pines; even as it sets for the night. 

In a small clearing surrounded by these thick pines sit two she-cats. The snow beneath them able to support even their combined weight, the cold from the night before having left the snow frozen. The cat's backs face the main trail that leads home; their heads arch high and their eyes sparkle while watching the sun dip behind the needles and snow, finally smothered from view as the dense undergrowth and tree trunks take over. The two remain frozen in place, long after the moon began to steal the milky sky and find its place overhead. The glowing rays cascade onto the still figures below, their russet and pale fur turning silver in the light. 

As the moon continues its journey, the russet she-cat's hushed mew finally breaks the silence that has grown thick throughout the evening. 

"Owlstar?" 

a heartbeat passes

"hm?" The cream-colored molly's calm reply came without taking her eyes off the glowing orb above her. 

Talonblaze stays quite a moment longer before asking,

"why have you brought me here?"

With a sigh, Owlstar faces her young deputy, finally removing her gaze from the full moon that had captivated her attention. She has tried to keep her mind from what must happen tonight to no avail. The leader focuses on her deputy's face and a stone drops in her stomach. She scans her, memorizing every aspect of her features and hoping to never forget how the deputy looks now. Curiosity and young energy shining in her eyes, questions burning through her and dancing on her tongue, prepared to jump off with even the slightest of prompting. Eager to please her leader and ready to serve her clan at the drop of a stick. With this analysis, guilt swamped through Owlstar at even the idea of what she was about to do and with all of her being she hoped Talonblaze would understand why she did it. 

Steeling herself with her decision from the previous night, the leaders usually confident mew gone is replaced by the shake of grief as she whispers,

"I only wished for one last moment with you."

Before the confusion could fully process on the tabby's face, Owlstar lunges at her deputy. As her teeth sink deep into the ginger fur of her deputy's throat, Owlstar closes her eyes and a scene flashes through her mind with such vivid intensity she almost believed it to be happening. 

_Talonblaze's eyes gleaming when her name was called with the announcement as the new deputy. The molly stood from her spot in the center of the clearing and bounded with excitement towards her leader. The she-cats touched noses before Talonblaze_ _turned to the rest of the clan with her tail raised high. "I promise, I will do everything I can to protect and defend this clan until the day I breathe my last breath." Owlstar looked down on the young cat with a strong burst of pride, knowing she was making the right choice for her next deputy._

Talonblaze's cries have grown feeble and her spasming struggles in attempt to remove the attacking she-cat have weakened. Unclamping her jaw from her victim's neck, Owlstar pulls back and blood drips from the leaders stained muzzle; leaving scarlet drops in the snow beside the limp body. 

The russet she-cat's dim gaze scans her leader through rapid shallow breaths. Hazel eyes bore into the misty blue stare of Owlstar as she tries to hold back the remorseful sobs that rack her body. The young deputy search's desperately for what she's done so wrong to deserve this punishment. With this question playing through her mind, Talonblaze closes her eyes, too weak for them to stay open any longer and releases one last shallow breath.

Owlstar bows her head, letting the weight of what she has done wash over her. She closes her eyes, remembering the life that had coursed through the deputy since the day she was born. How that life has now been cut short because of Owlstar's choice, long before her time. In a rush of remorse, the leader throws back her head, setting free a wail of despair. As the leader releases her agony, a shadow steps out of the trees with a chuckle, "About time, I wasn't sure if you were going to do it."

 _Owlstar thought of the hoard of cats that were milling around the carrionplace, seeming at home rummaging through the filth. She thought of the rippling muscles that hid under the rugged pelts, lean and well fed from the infestation of rats that filled the heaps of twoleg rubble. She thought of the scars that spoke for their many moons of fighting experience. as well as the hard look they had in their eyes that gave no mercy to another cat that so much as looked poorly in their direction. Then she thought of Julian. His eyes shining with ambition as he spotted the Pineclan leader hiding behind a twoleg post, watching them. His confident stride as he joined her and began to speak to her._

 _His confidence grew as he spoke to Owlstar. The tom already seeming to know her, and her status as leader when he brought up a proposal to join their groups. Owlstar had refused, hoping the tom would just leave the idea altogether. By now however, the group of cats had begun to form a circle around the leader as they listened with intent ears to the conversation. The circle bristled at the she-cats refusal and began to move closer with lashing tails and flat ears._

 _Julian stopped them with a whisk of his tail; he stepped closer to the leader, eyes narrowed. "That's not what I want to hear." The tom said with fake disappointment. Owlstar moved back at his step forward, but found herself pushed against one of the rogues, who in turn hissed at her. The circle of rogues continued to grow around the leader until she couldn't see the edge from any side. Her heart began to beat faster, and her fur began to rise when she saw just how many cats were there. Far more here than there were in her clan. 'How have we missed this many cats just outside our border?' Before the leader could think further on it, Julian drew her attention back to him by whisking his tail under her chin._

 _The Tom noticed Owlstar's assessment over the number of cats were residing in the carrionplace. With this he took her renewed knowledge to his advantage. "How about we make a deal, sweetheart? We will leave you and your clan alone, but you need to do one teeny-tiny favor." Owlstar narrowed her eyes before asking skeptically, "what do you want?" Ignoring her reservation, Julian reply's matter of factly "All you need to do, is kill 'Talonblaze' and we'll leave everyone else alone." Owlstar's eyes burn blue fire as the leader of the rogues. How dare he believe she would ever consider killing any of her clanmates. The tom chuckles as her response. "I didn't think it would be that easy to convince you. So let's play a game."_

 _Owlstar has been taken aback at the suggestion. The tom continued, ignoring Owlstar's reaction, yet again."If given only these two choices which would you choose? The death of one cat or the death of 20?" The leader looked quizzically at the rogue. "Just one of course." Julian looks at her pointedly, the leader then puts the pieces together, then thinks about how her response contradicts her wishes. She looks at the tom in horror. "No, this isn't a fair deal." Julian shrugs before turning around "it's your choice." With a sweep of the rogue's tail, the horde of cat disappeared in a flash of fur and tails._

Owlstar whips around to Julian, fur bristling and tail lashing. "It's done, what more do you want from me?" the leader snarls at the newcomer, her throat hoarse from her cry's. The molly sinks her claws into the frozen snow, wishing she could penetrate his flesh instead. A strong gust of wind blows towards the stranger, and he begins to circle the leader as he reply's simply. "Now, you must leave." 

Owlstar's eyes grew large and began to protest as she watches his movements "That wasn't a part of the deal..."

"for if you don't." The stranger interrupted "I will kill you myself and bring a world of unimaginable pain and death onto the rest of your friends." A heart wrenching pause, "your choice." The rogue immediately breaks out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

 _El Fin_


End file.
